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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Slice 3 of 31-#SOL17: A surprise visitor

This is the 10th year that Two Writing Teachers has hosted the Slice of Life Challenge. Thirty-one days of writing during the month of March, here we go!

I share an office space with three other women, and I don't mind. But, sort of like I enjoy being home alone in the house I share with six family members, I appreciate the quiet when everyone is away at off-site meetings or in classrooms.

Today I found myself with an hour in the middle of the day by myself in my office. I was pretty happy to have my bag of Popcorners in my lap, by package of sliced cheddar cheese to my right, my apple cut in wedges to my left, and two screens open, one that I could see data reports and one that I could record the numbers. My calculator was in front of me, and papers were, it's fair to say, pretty scattered across the desk.

Please know that I do not leave my desk like that ever and I don't think I would even have that degree of a scene going if one of my officemates were with me. I was alone, I had a lot of work to do, I had time, and I was pretty happy to spread out with my food and my papers and my computers.

Please also know that my office is around a corner of a hallway and while people come and visit, I usually expect them. Because we are tucked out of sight, we are more of a planned visit than a spontaneous one.

Imagine my surprise when our superintendent walked around the corner.

"What's going on in here?" he asked.

Fortunately, he has a good sense of humor and appreciated my lunch/data analysis.

Thinking, teaching and creating is messy! That is how the name "Messy Sheet" - the data display in our book came to life. I love the scene -- completely perfect. When Tammy and I have a week of writing you should see what it looks like -- neat is overrated.

I loved how you created tension in your piece - I could not wait to hear who popped in! Your humor came through.Clare

I'll never forget the time my superintendent walked in when I was on my hands and knees in the empty classroom getting dust bunnies out from under a table! Sometimes it is a good reminder that they see us doing ALL the work of an educator!